Award Budget and Setup

Is the default Activity ID on converted awards always 01?

Existing awards converted to the new system have as many activities (funding periods) as determined in the CF1/CF2 attributing task done in early in 2014. If the converted award has only one funding period, it will have an activity of 01. If there is more than one activity associated with the project, there will be more Activity IDs.

How will campus users find the Project and Activity status for their awards?

To access the Project Activity status:

Access the RA Grants WorkCenter in BFS Click the Report/Queries tab Click the Project Activity link under 'Award Information'

Can I use CF1 as a flex field, and if so, how?

Create a CF1 with the attribute "Non-C&G Attribute" for use with internal tracking (i.e., not important for sponsor reporting). This CF1+attribute will not interfere with tracking cost share, fabrication, etc., and will not create a project value in BFS. Please be sure to add a line with zero dollars in the budget upload - this will enable CGA to add the CF1 to the mapping table.

What happens if I can't meet the deadline to submit a budget?

For example: You just received the Phoebe Award Summary, but the awarded amount is substantially different from the original proposal and it will take more than two business days to revise your spending plan.

CGA cannot complete award setup in BFS without a budget, as the consequence of a delay in budget submission is a delay in activating the award fund to initiate spending.

Please take the time you need to submit an accurate budget to CGA, and if the budget is correct, spending can begin two business days after submission.

What is included in Indirect Costs?

Total Costs for a sponsored award typically include both Direct Costs and Indirect Costs.

Direct Costs include:

Instruction Sponsored Research Other Sponsored Activities Other Institutional Activities

Please refer to Direct Costs for more information.

Indirect Costs include:

Building Use Allowance Equipment Use Allowance/Depreciation Operation and Maintenance General Administration Department Administration Sponsored Project Administration Library Student Administration

Please...

When a department is awarded a grant to pay salaries, but the grant will not allow payment of any benefits, can the department pay the benefits from a different fund source?

When an agency will not pay benefits, a department can charge them to a different source after the fact. The procedure for doing so is as follows:

Payroll should be set up and charged as usual The Dept/Account/Fund/Chartfield1/Chartfield2 for benefits should be identified SPO set-up documentation should indicate that benefits are to be charged to a different Dept/Account/Fund/Chartfield1/Chartfield2 and identify what that Dept/Account/Fund/Chartfield1/Chartfield2 is CGA will invoice everything except the benefits

What is a formal contract?

A formal contract is an agreement between the university (signed by the Sponsored Projects Office (SPO)) and a funding organization or subaward recipient. The agreement documents the terms and conditions of the award and is essential for its financial administration as it defines allowable costs, overhead rates, payment terms, etc.

When a contract is signed, SPO sends a Phoebe Award Summary email to the Principal Investigator named on the award. Spending on the award may begin once the budget is set up in the Berkeley Financial System (BFS).

How can a RA request a second Cost Share or Program Income CF1 value?

Please email CGA to request the additional CF1 values at CGAawards@berkeley.edu.

Is fabrication tracked in CF1 or CF2? Does it matter which CF is used to track this?

Although both CF1 and CF2 can map to a project in BFS, the best practice is to use CF1 to track Fabrication, as well as Task/Deliverable. Use CF2 to track PI/Faculty.

How will CGA determine the description field value when creating new projects? Will description fields be included in the budget template?

At this time, the CGA analyst will create a description based on the chartfiled combinations that indicate a new project should be created. For example:

Additional PI Award number 2nd PI Last Name Example: 123456 2nd PI Sailor Different Task Award number Task 1 PI Last Name if applicable Example: 123456 Task 1 Sailor Fabrication Award number FAB Plant Fund number Example: 123456 FAB 12345 F&A Award number F&A Rate 1 Example: 123456 F&A Rate 1

Currently we are unable to include a description field in the budget template. We are researching how this might be accomplished...